


My Guardian Angel

by WillGrammer



Category: The Pacific (TV)
Genre: Anxiety, First Kiss, Long Shot, M/M, My First Work in This Fandom, One Shot, Protectiveness, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-09
Updated: 2018-09-09
Packaged: 2019-07-10 05:31:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15942767
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WillGrammer/pseuds/WillGrammer
Summary: Merriell's got some things to say to Eugene.





	My Guardian Angel

All Sledge could smell around him was the stench of blood and sweat of his comrades, either dead or alive, in the air. The cold was something he embraced each night, finding some sort of comfort in it since it was the only time in the day where he didn't ache for water.

 

It was different during daylight. The sun was vicious and unforgiving as the loud bombings around him forced each and every bone in his body to turn in fear of the unknown.

 

He found himself calculating his steps. Over-thinking about which direction should he take when marching in his group, stretching his neck to each side when sweat trickled down his back. One wrong step and he could get himself killed.

 

It was different when the moon was out. His blood was cold through his veins and his throat wasn't as dry, since he kept on swallowing his own saliva while writing in his journal. His feet ached and his heart clenched through his chest, trying to keep himself as alert as possible while breathing through his nose.

 

Merriel wasn't blind to it, the fear simply oozed out of Sledge, and it a common thing. Many soldiers were scared, but held back from showing it. There was no place for fear where war stood, but what was war without fear? A game between countries where soldiers fought for their lives with nothing to drive them into surviving the chaos they’d go through.

 

Fear was _necessary._  Fools who would barge into battle without thinking would be the first to die, but those who would calculate their steps a second too long would die as well.

 

Merriell didn't want Sledge to fall into either of those categories.

 

-

 

The stench of cigarettes and dirt came closer, and Eugene looked up from his journal to find Merriel's bright eyes stare into his own. He placed his pencil back in his pocket when the silence between them continued, before the other man moved closer to him, slowly, until he sat besides him, leaning his back against his bag.

 

“Your eyes, keep them on me.” he told him, never breaking their gaze, and Sledge titled his head in confusion, heat rising to his ears at how forward the question was, even if he didn't completely understand what he meant by it just yet.

 

Snafu seemed to say what he wanted without feeling embarrassed by the fact they were both men.

 

Sledge wished he had this kind of ability, to simply say what he wanted without having his feelings bother him in the process.

 

“Excuse me?” he nearly choked out, his voice barely a whisper with the wind that blew around them, and he could swear that his heart missed a bit when watching Merriel lick his dry lips before speaking again.

 

“You get nervous in daylight, when we walk. I get that, I feel you, but instead of looking around every half second, just look at me. Standing in place too long is dangerous, so just follow me.”

 

Snafu’s expression was uncertain of what he just said, which was something Sledge hadn't seen before. It was like he doubted his own choice of words, but it was the last thing on his mind.

 

“You're not weak. You can hold your ground, your aim is good… your brain’s sharp, you got morals,” Merriel went on, right before Sledge was about to speak, silencing him with his words. His… _compliments._

 

“I want to protect you. You ain't the type to  steal a golden tooth from a fuckin’ jap. You're nothing like me,” Snafu ran a hand through his messy hair, noticing the way Sledge held back a smile at his little speech.

 

“I don't want you to lose your humanity, Sledge.”

 

Eugene gave Snafu a long look, before he leaned in close enough to see the dirt over his tan skin shine in the light of the moon, like some sort of a tattoo. There was some on his neck, too, but the majority of it was over his cheeks and forehead.

 

“You could have helped me scrub those damn drums, man,” he could feel his stomach turn when he sucked in a small laugh, watching the way Snafu titled his head back.

 

“I scrub drums for no man. I already told y'all that,” he said, leaning back, looking up to the sky. Eugene shifted and rolled his eyes, moving closer until their shoulders touched, humming quietly.

 

“And if I keep my eyes on you, like you asked?”

 

Merriell turned his head to gaze him, his eyes narrowed.

 

“Then I think you got yourself a deal.”

 

“Is that right?” Sledge allowed himself to enjoy the conversation now, closing his eyes, taking in a breath of cold air into his lungs with unfamiliar ease.

 

Snafu moved his hand into Sledge’s lap, resting it over his knee, right next to where he placed his journal, drawing circles over the thick layer of his pants, feeling the man shiver to his touch.

 

It's been so long since he was this intimate with someone. Since he left home. It felt nice, and God only knew how rare was that on this cursed island.

 

“Mmh,” Snafu answered with a sigh when feeling Sledge’s hand rest over his own, his sticky fingers felt warm against the back of his hand, and he swallowed, opening his eyes to look at the moon above them.

 

“You should get some sleep, you know,” Eugene said after a while passed, his blood boiling through his skin to the fact that Snafu didn't move his hand from his knee just yet.

 

Was it because his own hand rested against it?

 

Quickly, he pulled it back, just for the other to hold his wrist as he turned his head to watch him, before he tightened their fingers together, half smirking at the baffled expression of his comrade.

 

“You never held hands with anyone before?”

 

Eugene swallowed a thick gulp down his throat when thinking out loud in his head, practically screaming out the obvious.

 

_“Not with a man!”_

 

A few girls, when he was a boy, but it was never something so… Intimate. It was more of a friendly gesture to him, but not here. Not with Snafu.

 

He felt warmth filling him, causing his toes to curl in his heavy boots through his thick socks. He couldn't quite explain it, but it helped him. It calmed him.

 

“I'll let go, if that's what you want,” he told him a moment later, and Sledge let his journal fall to the ground as he moved forward to place his free hand against Merriell’s shoulder, staring deeply into his eyes, breathing against his lips when silence washed over them.

 

He was leaning forward into him, his knee pressed between his legs, keeping him down against his bag with his weight, his fingers tightening around Snafu’s, and he let out a heavy breath, trying to stay as quiet as possible, they new position embarrassing him.

 

“Please don't. I… I like it. It's nice,” he mumbled, and Snafu nodded his head, moving closer until their lips brushed, giving Sledge a teasing peck before kissing him, the palm of his right hand rubbing at his cheek, feeling how warm his soft skin turned to his touch. It was cute.

 

“Okay, I won't.”

 

Eugene found himself turning red, his cheeks flaming when all he could think about was how soft Snafu’s full lips against his own, the images of them wrapped around a cigarette’s butt earlier today flooded his mind when he moved his lips slowly, closing his eyes to let the feeling sink in.

 

It was the middle of the night, and he was leaning over a man, holding him down while their lips were pressed together, all the while they held hands. Out in the open.

 

Eugene didn't feel bad for it. He surely wouldn't apologize for it if they were caught, or regret it, because fuck, Merriell calmed him down. He was a jerk at times, to the point where he remembered himself questioning whether he could trust such a man with his life, or anyone's, for that matter, but he wasn't thinking that way anymore.

 

Not after noticing all those times where the man hovered over him when they marched together. His gaze burning into his back, as if he was some sort of a guardian angel, keeping an eye out for him.

 

The realization made Eugene’s hand over Snafu’s shoulder to tighten, massaging the bone underneath the thick layer of the man's uniform, drawing a silent sigh from him, feeling it vibrating against his own lips before he pulled away for air.

 

Moving to sit back, keeping his knees pressed against his firm chest, he felt Snafu’s hand rising to his hair, his sticky fingers massaging his scalp, and Eugene melted to the touch, his body relaxing into the new position.

 

“I hope that God won't cast me out for kissing one of his boys,” Snafu whispered, earning a wide smile from Eugene as his face burned with blush, giving him a playful shove, watching him grin.

 

“Shut the fuck up, man.” biting his lip, Eugene looked away, before Snafu picked up his journal from the ground, closing it before he nudged it against Sledge's leg, handing it to him.

 

“Get some sleep,” he told him when watching him tucking the notebook in the same pocket he placed his pencil in awhile ago.

 

Eugene nodded his head, leaning his head back, wrapping his hands around his gun, and watching Snafu do the same, before he moved away from him, and he felt his heart sink through his chest at that.

 

Closing his eyes, he tightened his hold against his gun, falling into a dreamless sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> Not beta'd, I apologize for any errors. I will go through it later and fix whatever I find. They might not be in character since it is the first time I've written them... I only began watching The Pacific two days ago, and I love their dynamic. I hope that despite my lack of experience with those two, you were still able to enjoy my work. 
> 
> Please kudos and feel free to comment your thoughts down below! Feedback would be much appreciated. 
> 
> My Tumblr: http://will-grammer.tumblr.com/
> 
> Until next time, 
> 
> -Alex.


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